Making Magic and Being Bold

Sometimes you just have to take things into your own hands and make them happen. At least that is what photographer Jimi G thought as he was wondering how to get some of his clients to use larger images. He knew that his images of speaker installations and rock concerts were terrific material for a large image, but conveying that to the clients was difficult.

Jimi's specialties include musicians, music studios and audio installations along with fashion, beauty and images that can only be called 'personal'. These audio clients are always fighting for attention at the trade shows and many other trade events, and the big images could help them cut through the clutter. But talking to them about his ideas was always 'fit in' during meetings and layout days.

"Everyone in this business is so rushed," he said as we stood in the gallery area of his home studio, "and I knew that taking a slow road wouldn't cut it. I needed to do something bold."

But what? The inspiration hit him on a drive back to his Ojai home after a shoot in Palm Springs. "I had decided to take the longer route and get some images for my "Roadside" collection, so I went over to Palm Desert and then turned toward the coast." It was while he was taking an image that he thought, "If only my client could see these like I do, maybe then…"

That was it. Sparked with an idea to show the clients exactly what he meant by "make them big." It was a two part plan that would involve the internet and some very focused marketing.

"I knew which clients would get the biggest bang from the images", Jimi explained, "because I do so much work for them in the marketing area." Jimi designs trade and consumer ads along with magazine design for some of the trade publications. "Knowing what my client needed and being able to show them this way really helped sell it."

The plan involved photographing existing lobbies and interiors at the clients offices, some Photoshop and an outrageous calling card.

"First I had to find an excuse to photograph the lobby. I would just tell the receptionist that I needed it for the magazine, then tidy it up a bit and shoot." Jimi explains that the next part was really fun. "I would take the lobby pictures into Photoshop and then add the large graphics to the image. Lighting effects and other tweaks were added, but I didn't change the space at all except for the images."

Thinking that he was on to something, he also arranged to get some record shots of the tradeshow booths and some floor shots of the booth taken at a recent trades show. "I just kept going, photoshopping the large images into the booth, and then into the booth in the floor shots."

The results were amazing and he couldn't wait to share them with the clients. "But I knew I had to do it with a little more flair," he laughed, "these guys needed to be stopped dead in their tracks, and it had to resonate all through the organization."

The next step was creating a web site for the different clients to view the work and share it with all the corporate folks in other locales. Jimi uses the PHOTOtool and he created unique password protected spaces for each of the clients he was pitching. "I really didn't want them all to know I was pitching someone else, so having a secure site to show the work helped me keep it as covert as possible."

Now for the calling card. Jimi approached his printer with the idea. "I just told him upfront that I needed to pitch these guys and if the jobs came in he would get the printing. I also told him what I could afford to do." Jimi laughs out loud at this point. "I didn't know what the guy would say, but after he saw the work he was on board."

"We made four 40x60's with the new lobby shots on them, my logo, and the web address to see the rest of the work which I hinted at with a collage technique that teased them." The images were mounted on to a cintra material for sturdiness. "I wanted to let them know what big images looked like without having them 'imagine' how they would look.

Jimi borrowed a friends Hummer to deliver the images "I only drive little sporty things and the story of me driving the Hummer all over Santa Barbara and LA is for another time", he said smiling and laughing. "When I came in the door I told the receptionist that I wanted to leave them my new card. When she said fine, I went back out the door and brought in this giant print." Jimi explains that the excitement caused at each place he delivered made it impossible to do them in one day. "The receptionist would call the marketing guy and he would call the CEO… and we would end up talking about how we could do this and do that… it was wonderful."

Jimi G now produces huge graphics for several of his clients, and has designed tradeshow booths and display work that is seen all over LA, Boston, Nashville and cities where selected bands play to sold out crowds.

"Having always loved the music business, this niche keeps me smiling." Jimi G lets us know that being bold and making things happen can definitely increase you business.

Visit Jimi G at www.jimigetc.com to view his work.